Basic equipment starts are about £50-60 each for a 1/32nd and 1/24th scale standard
car. These are ready to run and will allow you to compete in all LSCC classes except
Formula One. Cars eligible for F1 are a similar price but completely different rule-set
and design. In addition, you will need a hand controller which can range from £75
upwards. There is always second hand kit around at much cheaper prices - ask for
details of anything you need. The club maintains a set of club cars so your first
few weeks will cost you virtually nothing.

What skills do I need to do the hobby?

Key skills are a good driving aptitude. You will also need to maintain the cars
so need a level of basic engineering skills including soldering and metal work. Artistic
skills can be applied to bodyshell paintwork but this is not essential. As you progress,
you will learn about chassis design, motor maintenance and general preparation of
the car including tyres, bodyshells etc.

What sort of people do the hobby?

In general, anyone who enjoys driving Scalextric could enjoy this. You will need
an amount of engineering and car preparation skills. It helps if you are a keen
competitor to get to the higher levels but many people do it simply because they
enjoy the challenge of preparing and driving high performance machinery.

What sets these cars apart from Scalextric style cars?

One key fact to remember is that these cars are not intended to be models of full
size racers. They are a technology in their own right and are generally hand-built
from laser cut steel which is designed to twist and bend to handle the massive cornering
forces which are higher than a modern F1 car. Everything about the car is geared
for performance. The car sits less than 0.5mm from the track, motors are massively
more powerful than Scalextric and drive the car through wide sticky sponge tyres.
Bodyshells are the only part of the car that is above ½ inch high and are made from
very thin and strong lexan plastic and only bear a passing resemblance to the full
scale model. The bodyshell is designed to exert maximum force from the airflow over
it. To give an idea of the performance difference, these cars will lap a Scalextric
car 3 times on our track.

Do I need to pay to race?

Yes. You should join the LSCC which is £50 per year and we will charge you race
fees to cover track repairs and accommodation hire. See the home page for race fees.
This is on top of equipment that you buy.

If your question is not answered here, email it to me and I will try to answer it.